Furniture



P 1931- c. P. SCHWARZ 1,800,847

FURNITURE Filed Aug. 31, 1927 //V Vi/V 7 0/? A T TOR/V4571? Patented Apr. 14, 1931 CQNS TADTTINE P. SCHWABZ, OF PLZEN, CZEGI-IOSLBVAKIA ronm'rumi Application filed August 31, 1927. Serial No. 216,621.

This invention relates to cabinets, and particularly to the type having one or more drawers. When an ordinary drawer is inet guides and consequently tends to sag downwardly its forward end. To avoid such sagging, the drawers are rarely pulled outwardly to the extent otherwise possible and consequently access to the rear portion ot' the drawer is often inconvenientor difiicult.

in object of the invention is to generally improve cabinets of the types having drawers.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved cabinet in which the drawers may be pulled outwardly to a maximum possible extent without their complete disengagement, so as to make access to the rear portion of each drawer as convenient as possible; and with which a drawer pulled out to the maximum erttent'will be firmly ward sagging.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved cabinet with which the drawers may be pulled outwardly to a maximum limited guides upon which they are supported; th which each drawer may be easily disencd from be which the forward end of each drawerwill be firmly held against unintentional vertical movement while the drawer is in its drawn out position. v

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved cabinet for accomplishing each or any ot the above objects; with which the cabinet and drawers will have a 1naici- A further object of the invention is to pro-' vide an improved cabinet with which any drawer when pulled outwardly to its full eX- t 'll tl' t* l lb 'l .c1 t,w1 .io ciop ou ant wii cii lcysup supported at its forward end against down- :rtcnt without leaving the cabinet while itis at its outer limit of movement on said guides; and wlth posed relation to one another.

ported while in that position; and with which the contents of the drawers will be conveniently accessible to a maximum extent. In the accompanying drawings: Fig.1 is a sectionalelevation ofja cabinet constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a portion of the same; i

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan of a portion of the same; y

Fig. el is a front, sectional elevation of another part of the same; l

Fig. 5 is a plan of the free end of one of the props or stilts;

Fig. 6 is a :lront elevation of a portion of a cabinet also constructed in accordance with the invention, but illustrating a modification thereof; I i i V Fig. 7 is atransvcrse, sectional elevation of a portion of the rear part of the cabinet Fig; 8 is a sectional plan of a portion of the cabinet of Figs. 6 and? and Fig. 9 is a fragmentary,perspective of a portion of one of the drawers of the same.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 the cabinet comprises a suitable casing 1 having an "open front or side 2 and any suitable tops, sides and base. Guides or track bars 3are secured to the inner face of the sides of the casing at suitable vertical points therein, so as to slidably support a plurality of drawers 4 arranged in super- These drawers are thus guided inwardly and outwardly through the open side or frontQ of the casing. Stop blocks 5 (Fig. 3)which may be carried by one or both sides of eachdrawer at the top shown in Fig. 6;

and rear thereof are engageable with angular ends 6 of stop members 7 which are provided within the casing adjacent the open side or front 2 thereof, so as to limitthe outward movement of each drawer. These stop members 7 are located to stop the drawers just before they leave the guides or track bars 3, the angular end 6 of each stop member 7 being approximately parallel to the plane of the open trontor side 2. Each drawermay,if desired, be completely disengaged from stop members j i v 7 1,800,847

ward end of each drawer in such a manner; that the props or stilts may be swung-upwardly against, or in close proximity to, the under faces of the drawers. A" guide plateor' ledge 10 may extend from each guide or track bar. 3f for receivingan d supporting in sliding movemet the free end of each prop or stilt 3. Each ledge or plate 10 holds its;c0rres.ponding prop or stilt 8 in proximity to the lower face ofits related drawer during the inward and outward travel of that drawer, but its forward end terminates at a point such that the free end of the prop is released and drops oifwhen that drawer approaches its outward limit of movement as determined by its stop block 5 and the stop element 7 The free end of each prop or stilt 8 falls by gravity when so'released by its guiding ledge or plate 10,

' and in falling assumes an acute angular position withrespect to the bottom of its drawer. Eachdrawer below. the uppermost one may the drawer-next above, forguiding the free armslof a U-shaped strip, of metal over the sides of thefree end of aprop, with the crossv end of that prop or stilt 8 downwardly into engagementwith a pin or post 12 also carried by "the same drawer forwardly of and in spaced relation to the inclined abutment or guiding surface The freeend of each; prop or stilt. 8 maybe provided with a loop 13 which fits over and engages the pin 12 of the drawer next below.. This loop .13 maybe conveniently provided by telescoping the portion ofthe U slightly spaced from the act'ualffree end of the prop or stilt arm, and

forming an extension thereof, as shownclear- 1y inFig. 5. This U-shaped strip of metal maybe secured .to the prop arminany suitable manner, such as by rivets 14.

VVhenthefree end of a prop orstilt 8 falls.

' lated pin-12 the pin and adj acentguide surandthe loop 13 thereof engagesover its-reface .11 will prevent endwise movement of 1 that prop or stilt in both directions. Ac-

cordingly,the prop or stilt-8 will prevent downward sagging of the forward end of the drawer to which it is attached, and also will preventany upward movement of the forward-end of the drawer.thatmightdisengage the drawer fromv the casing, as previously herein explained. For the lowermost drawer,

the cabinet is provided, at a forward point thereof and below the lowermost drawer, with one or more blocks or membersv 15 each having an inclined guiding surface 16 similar to the guide surfaces 11 of the drawers above. Each block or member 15 carries an upward projecting pin 17 similar to the pins 12 and V downwardly into the'positionshown in dash lines in'Fig..1 temporarily,-in order to make theinterior chamber or space beneath the lowermost drawer, more easily accessible. lllhile a single :prop for each drawer might be sufiicient to support the forward end, preferably two props foreach drawer, one at each side are employed. 7 The block ormember 15, may be continuous across the cabinet, but preferably two such blocks or members, if two. props are. attached. to the. lowermost drawer, areprovided and. disposed at each side of the cabinet A shel f20 may, if deg sired, be disposedin thecasing and supported 'atiits forward end upon'the. cross bar 19. have, at its forward end, an abutment and guiding surface 11 located within thepath of thefree end of aprop or stiltconnected to A strip 21, F igs. 3 and 4,. of suitable material maybe secured to the forward face of thejcasing at. each side ofthe opening 2, so-

The strips 2l, howeve r, do not obstruct the travel ofthe drawers, as will be obvious from.

Fig. 3. A spring tension roller 22 is mount-- ed in the lower part ofthe casing, 'anda flexible curtain 23 is connected at one end to this roller, so as to be automatically wound upon the roller whenlthe' roller is freeto rotate; Sucha curtain may .be-formed of any suitable flexible sheet material, butIhave found that textilefabrics arevery, satisfactory for this purpose, as they are relatively inexpensive,

will exclude dust, are flexible and may bear various artistic designs which improves the appearance of the cabinet. The other end of this flexible curtain'is connectedto a binding bar 24.- which extends acrossthe side. opening 2, throughwhich the drawers move,

when pulled outwardly, this bar and-the our tainlat each side edge extending behind the projecting. portions vof'the strips 21-, seeparticularly Fig. 4.

.Thisbin'olingbar 24 may carry any, suitable device forholding it in different adjustits ed positions alongitstravelacross the cas ing opening, such .securingldevices beingkvery' common, as, for. example, on the curtamsof railway coaches. Asa simple expedient for:

holding the binding bar in adjusted position, sliding bolts maybe disposed in the ends of the binding bar for movement endwise.

therein and provided with operating buttons 26 which extend through slots 27 in the front face of the bar, so that the bolts 25 may be movedendwise by the operating buttons 26. Suitable springs 28 may be disposedwithin the binding bar, so as to be compressed by the inner ends of the bolts 25 and therefore the bolts will be yieldingly pressed outwardly by the springs to frictionally engage the sides of the cabinet and hold the curtain in adjusted position. The curtain may be ea ily released and moved to a new position by either sliding the bar against the frictional resistance between the bolts 25 and the casing sides, or by moving the buttons 26 inwardly or toward one another to release the friction. If desired, the inner faces of the sides of the casing at the portion over which the bolts 25' travel may be provided with successively spaced indentations or depressions into which the bolts may snap to effectively hold the binding bar in adjusted position.

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate a construction similar to that described in connection with Figs.

1 to 5, with the exception that the guides or track bars 29, similar to the guides or bars 3, are formed of sheet metal strips bent longitudinally into the form of a U-shaped channel opening toward the side wall of the casing to which it is secured, and havlng an angular edge 30 extending as a flange from the free end of one of the arms of the U. This flange 30 fits against and is secured to the adjacent side wall of the casing, and the upper surface of the adjacent arm of the U serves as a track upon which the adjacent side of the drawer is slidingly supported. The space between the two arms of the U forms a track or guide for receiving and guiding the free end of the prop or stilt of the drawer which is supported upon that same guide or track bar.

The cross bar of the U at the forward end of the guide or track bar 29 is cut or slit for a short distance from the forward end to form a tongue 31 (see also Fig. 8) which is bent outwardly at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the guide or track bar 29, and forms a drawer stop taking the place of the stop 6 of Figs. 1 to 4. This stop 31 cooperates with a stop block 32 similar to the block 5, which is provided upon the rear end of the next lower drawer. Such a sheet metal guide or track bar is light, durable and easily formed of sheet metal, and also is easily attached to the casing.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 8, a channel strip 210: may be substituted for each strip 21 of Figs. 1 to 4:, and in such a case, the channel strips are attached to the casing by securing one of the arms of the channel to the front edge of a side wall of the casing,-with the two channels on opposite sides of the main opening 2 facing one another. The side edges of the flexible curtain 23 and the bindingbar 24 extend into the open channels, and the cross bar or base portion of each channel may have slight indentations 33 formed therein to provide cavities into which the ends of the bolts 25 may snap in order to hold the closure moreeifectively in adjusted positions.

Referring now to Fig. 9, the forward end of each drawer 4, instead of having the inclined guide surface 11 and the pin 12, may be provided with an inverted V-shaped piece 3d of suitable material, such as sheet metal, one arm of the V being secured to the front end wall of the drawer at one side of the drawer. The other or free arm ofthe V serves as an inclined guiding and abutment surface, against which thefree end of a prop or stilt 8 may fall, as previously described. A tongue 35 mayextend upwardly and bacle wardly from the free edgeof the forward or inclined arm of the V in somewhat spaced relation thereto, so as to provide a pin corresponding to' the pins 12 and 17 of Fig. 1 for receiving the loop 13 of a prop or stilt.

The use of a cabinet such as herein described and illustrated is believed to be obvious but may be briefly stated as follows: To open a drawer,the curtain is first lowered to expose the drawer and the drawer pulled forwardly until stopped. As the drawer approaches or reaches its forward limit of movement, the props or stilts 8 carried thereby will fall and engage pins 12, 17 or 35 at points below it, and in that relation of the parts the props or stilts 8 will prevent sagging and upward vertical movements of the forward end of the drawer. To push the drawer inwardly, the props or stilts are first released from the pins, swung upwardly and the drawer then pushed inwardly. y

If a drawer is to be completely removed from the cabinet, it is first pulled outwardlyto the full extent, its props or stilts, 8 disengaged from the pins or holding means 12, 17 or 85 with which they normally engage, and the forward end of the drawer then tilted upwardly, as shown in the third drawer from the top in Fig. 1. This causes the disengagement of the drawers from the guides upon which the drawers have been supported, and thereupon the drawer may be dropped at the rear end to. disengage it from the means by 120 which its outward movement was previously stopped. The drawer may be reinserted in the cabinet by procedure reverse to that. just described. The props or stilts 8 do not obstruct access in any way to the drawer which has been pulled outwardly, and by being able to pull the. drawers outwardly to a greater extent than heretofore, one may more easily have access to the rear portion of the drawer.

1 It will be obvious that various changes in, the details-which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made bythose Skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims. r p c I claim as my invention: 7 1. A cabinet comprising a casing having drawer openings and guides,'drawers slidable in and out on said guides and through 1 said openings, means for limiting the normal outward movement of said drawers, andv means attached to the forward endportion of each drawer and interlocking automatically, when that drawer is pulled outwardly, with the next lower drawer at a point within the limits ofthe cabinet to prevent sagging of the forward end of that pulled drawer.

, 2. A cabinet comprisinga casing having a drawer opening and guides, a drawer slid V able on said guides intoand out of'said casing throughsaid opening, the upper rear portion of said drawer and the forward port on from and confined by said'guides in close proximity to the lower part of said drawer of said cabinet having cooperating stop portions for limiting the outward-movement of said drawer just before the drawer leaves the guides, but permitting removal of the drawer by upward tilting of the forward end of the drawer while said stop portions are engaged, a prop hinged to the forward end of said drawer, extending rearwardly thereduring the outward movement of said drawer,- said prop being released by said guides at approximately the limit of outward move ment of said drawer as determined by said stop portions, and means disposed in said;

cabinet beneath said drawer for engagement with the free end of said prop as the latter wardly, its forward end will be held against fallsafter release by said guide to hold said prop against movement in both end'wise di- 1 rections caused byupward and downward tilting of the forward end of said drawer-,-

whereby when said drawer is pulledroutdownward sagging, and also held against upward tilting which would tend to release it from said stops and guidesfor com moval from the cabinet. r

3. A cabinet comprising a casing having a drawer opening and guides, a drawer slidable on said guides into and out of said cas ing through said opening, the upper rear 7 portion of said drawer and the forward por tionof said cabinet having cooperating stop portions for limiting the outward movement of said drawer just before the drawer leaves the guides, but permitting removal of the a drawer by upward tilting of'the forward end of the drawer while said stop portions are engaged, a prop" hinged to the forward end ofsaid drawer, extendingrearwardlytherefrom and confined by said guidesin'close lete re-' proximity to. the lower part of said drawer during the outward movement of said drawer, said prop 'being released" by said guides at approximately the limit-of outward movement of said drawer as determined by said stop portions, the freeend of said prop and said cabinet having cooperating pin and aperture means mutually engageable by the falling of the prop when released by said guides, for resisting moving forces acting endwise of said'prop, whereby the forward end of said drawer when; pulled outwardly will .be

propped against downward sagging and also against upward tilting movement suflicient to disengage the drawerlfrom both the guides and cabinet stop portions.

I 4. A cabinet comprising a casing having a drawer opening and guides, a" drawer slidable ,onsaid guides'into and out of said casing through said opening, the upper rear portion of said drawer and the forward portion of said cabinet having cooperating stop portions for limrtmg the outward movement of said drawer just before'the drawer leaves the 7 guides, but permitting removal of the drawer by upward tilting of the forward end of the a prop hinged to theforward end of said drawer, extending rearwardly therefrom and confined by said guides "in close proximity to the lower part of said drawer during the outward movement ofsa-id' drawer, said prop being released by said guides at approximately the limit of'outward movement of said draweras determined by said stop por said drawer andalso upward tilting ofthe V 7 forward end of the drawer suflicient t0 dis en-' gage the drawer fromthe guides and cabinet stop portions.

' 5(A cab'net comprising a casinghaving an open face and guides extending'inwardly from said open face, a'plurality of drawers mounted on said guides, one above another, formovement into and out of'said'cabinet through said open face, said cabinet and rear portion of each drawer having cooperating means for limitingnormally'; the outward movement ofsaid drawfer but permitting complete removal of that drawer from said guides by the upward tilting of the forward ends of said drawer while at its outerlimit: of

'movement on said guides,-a prop hinged to'.

drawer while said stop'po'rtions are engaged,

the forward portion of each drawer in a manner to permit downward movement of the tree end of the prop, said guides havlng portlons cooperating with said props to 1101* mally hold them in their upper positions guiding and holding means, into engagement with which the free end of a prop talls when an upper drawer is at its outer limit of movement for preventing vertical movements of the front end of the upper drawer, said cabinet having below the lowermost drawer guiding and holding means into engagement with vhich the free end of the prop ot' the lowermost drawer falls when that lowermost drawer is pulled outwardly as far as permitted by said cooperating means, said guiding and holding means of the cabinet preventing endwise movements of the prop of the lowermost drawer.

6. A cabinet comprising a casing having an open face and guides extending inwardly from said open taco, a plurality of drawers mounted on said guides, one above another, for movement into and out of said cabinet through said open face, said cabinet and rear portion of each drawer having cooperating means tor limiting normally t e outward movement of said drawer but permitting complete removal of that drawer from said guides by the upward tilting of the forward ends oi said drawer while at its outer limit ot movement on said guides, a prop hinged to the forward portion of each drawer in a manner to permit downward movement of the free end of the prop, said guides having portions cooperating with said props to normally hold them in their upper positions adjacent their related drawers until the drawers have reached approximately their outer limit of movement, each drawer below the top drawer having at its forward end guiding and holding means, into engagement with which the "free end of a prop tails when an upper drawer is at its outer limit of movement, said guiding and holding means preventing endwise movements of the prop in both directions for preventing downward sagging ot the forward end of said upper drawer and also upward tilting of the forward end of said upper drawer in a manner which if not prevented would cause its disengagement of that upper drawer, said cabinet having below the lowermost drawer guiding and holding means into engagement with which the free end of the prop of the lowermost drawer falls when that lowermost drawer is pulled outwardly as tar as permitted by said cooperating means, said guiding and holding means of the cabinet preventing endwise movements of the prop ot the lowermost drawer to prevent thereby vertical movements of the forward end of that drawer, said guiding and holding means of the cabinet being disposed interiorly thereof, and being movable into a position to facilitate access to thechamber of the cabinet in which it is mounted when access to that chamber is desired.

'2'. A cabinet comprising acasing having a side opening and drawer guides of sheet metal secured to the casing at the sides of the opening, a drawer slidable on said guidesinto and out of said casing through said opening, one of said guides having a portion thereof turned back beneath the surface supporting the drawer, to form a track op'enat the end adjacent said side opening, a prop articulately connected to the forward portion of the drawer and adapted to swing up adjacent a side edge thereof and enter said track when said drawer is in its outer position, said prop sliding endwise along and being supported by said track when the drawer is pushed rearwardly with the tree end of the prop inserted '1 said track, said track terminating at its tor-ward end at a pomt which will release the prop and permit it to fall when the drawer reaches its outer position, and means into engagement with which the free end ot the prop moves for holding the prop and thereby preventing sagging of the forward end of the drawer when in itsouter position.

8. A; cabinet comprising a casing'having a side opening and drawer guides of sheet metal secured to the casing at the sides of the opening, a drawer slidable on said guides into and out of said casing through said opening, one or said guides having a portion thereof turned back beneath the surface supporting thedrawer, to form a track open at the end adjacent said side opening, a prop articulately connected to the forward portion of the drawer and adapted to swing up adjacent a side edge thereof and enter said track when said drawer is in its outer position, said prop sliding endwise along and being supported by said track when the drawer is pushed rearwardly with the free end of the prop inserted in said track, said track terminating at its forward end at a point which will release the prop and permit it to fall when the drawer reaches its outer position, and means into engagement with which the free end of the prop moves for holding the prop and thereby preventing sagging of the forward end of the drawer when in its outer position, one of said guides having a tongue struck therefrom adjacent its forward end for engagement by the drawer, when the drawer is pulled outwardly, to limit the outward movement of said drawer materially beyond a point at which the tree end of the prop will be released from said track.

9. A cabinet comprising a casing having a drawer opening and drawer guides extending into said casing from said opening, a drawer slidable in and out of said casing through said opening'a'nd on said guides, a prop hinged to the forward end portion of said drawer and extending rearwardly therefrom, means for receiving the free end of said prop when the'latter is brought into a position approximately parallel with the guides, and permitting inward and outward movement of the prop with the drawer, and means cooperating with the free end'of theprop automatically when the latterfis released and falls asthe drawer is pulled outwardly approximately its full extent, for preventing all vertical movements ofthe. forward end of the drawer.

10. A cabinet comprising a casing having a drawer opening and draweroguides extending intorsaid "casing from said opening, a

drawer slidable in'and out of said casing through said opening and on said guides, a prop hinged tothe forward end portion of said drawer and extending rearwardly there from, means for receiving the free'end of said prop when the latter is brought into a position approximately parallel with the guides, and permitting inward and outward movement of the prop with the drawer, and an inverted V-shaped element of sheet metal disposed below said drawer, with one of the sides of the V inclined downwardly and out-' wardly to receive and guide the free end of said prop as the latter 'falls when releasedby its guide, saidlast mentioned wall of said 7 element having a tongue extending upwardly from its lower edge and approximately parallel to and spaced from said wall, to in- I terlock with the free end of said prop and prevent vertical movements of the forward end of said drawer. e V

CONSTANTINE P. SGHWARZL 

